Dueling was and always has been a sadistic tool of amusement for Ryoken. Why sadistic? because you couldn't go through this game without becoming one.
In a toxic community where even your turn can become your opponent's turn, each one of your moves get negated, stun locked or any other stunt players pulled with a meta deck, you had to be sadistic to survive.
Why? because simply you had to join them instead of resisting. Basically fighting fire with fire. That's why he embraced the meta and enjoyed making his opponents feel how he did.
Of course he still enjoyed dueling with the non meta decks whilst playing with his friends, but still in competitive matches, you had to go all out on toxicity.
Till now he used power and force to defeat his opponents in this world and new life, thinking it was too soon to bring the meta and it's pain on them.
But it was time to change that now. Predaplant deck obviously is a meta deck in this era and even in master duel it's a good and useful deck, just missing super poly and few cards to complete it for competitive games.
Turn4
Draw phase
"I draw." Ryoken said as he closed his eyes and drew from his deck.
Main phase 1
Opening his eyes and seeing the card, a fire was lit in his eyes.
"Yuri it's time for you to learn the true joy of dueling. Tell me Yuri do you like gifts?"
Yuri pondered on Ryoken's question before answering. why? because in this life he never got anything from someone as a gift.
But the idea of getting one from Ryoken, the only person that hadn't hated nor ridiculed him yet sounded like a dream.
"I... do. I like gifts."
Ryoken noded in understanding "The. here's my gift for you Yuri!"
Yuri's ears perked up upon hearing it, wondering what could Ryoken gift to him in the middle of the duel.
"I tribute your Predaplant Chimerafflesia and Starve venom fusion dragon to special summon lava golem to your field in defense position!"
Lava began to erupt from the ground, absorbing both monsters and eating them completely as a golem came out of it and stood up proudly, thanking Yuri for the dinner it had.
Lava Golem 3000ATK/2500DEF
"..." Yuri watched the monster before racking his brain what happened just now.
"I end my turn."
"???"
You summon a strong monster to my field just to end your turn without doing anything else? was what was going in Yuri's mind.
As he began his draw phase and draw a card, Ryoken stopped him.
"Lava Golem's effect activates. During your Standby phase, you take 1000 points of damage!"
Yuri's eyes Widened from shock, his mouth open and left agap as the golem spit a bit of lava on his, making his life points hit Zero.
Yuri LP 1000 -> 0
[Ryoken Wins!]
The robotic sound from both duel disks stated.
Yuri began to analyse and think through the strategy Ryoken used. In no way he could predict he would play a card like that when his ace momster was something like Blue-eyes white dragon.
But then he remembered that his own Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra had a similar effect, one which he planned on using this duel, making him reach a conclusion.
By gift Ryoken meant that he acknowledged Yuri's tactic and was responding in the same kind, meaning he approved of his dueling!
(A/N:..ummm)
He bowed Infront of Ryoken as he walked towards him, making Ryoken raise a brow.
"I understood the meaning behind your gift, thanks encouraging me to use this tactic!"
Ryoken gave a puzzled look, one that Yuri couldn't see as his head was bowed down.
"Ah yes, I'm happy you got the meaning behind it. Anyway remember the deal?"
he looked up at Ryoken with stars in his eyes "Of course Ryo! Ask me anything and I'll do it!"
"Can you give me a copy of your pot of greed?"
Yuri paused, his enthusiasm dropping, making Ryoken second guess his favour. Was Yuri saddened by the fact he asked for a card he owned?
"You sure? I don't think that's enough... like i have many copies of that card..."
Ryoken's eyes Widened from shock "Many? how many?"
Yuri put a finger on his mouth, thinking about it "I think around 7 or 8. some random guy dropped them in a trash can and I picked them up since I felt bad about it."
Suddenly Ryoken put both of his on Yuri's shoulder "You did good Yuri. No card should be treated like trash. Now give me three copies of Pot of greed."
Yuri gave a nod, happy that Ryoken praised him. He then took out three copies of Pot of greed and gave them to Ryoken.
Then something struck his mind. Ryoken took pot of greed for him because he was too kind. He didn't want to take a predaplant card because he had seen how much Yuri liked them.
"Thank you..." Yuri muttered as he hung his head down to hide his smile.
"Hmm? don't mind it. I didn't do anything." Ryoken said confused about why he was thanking him.
"Hey Yuri, what do you say with coming with me? like I adopt you."
At the mention of those words, Yuri looked at him with disbelief, tears gathering in hid eyes.
"I... you sure? I don't want to be an annoyance to you..."
"Nah I don't mind it, and we had a fun duel right? if you come with me we can duel with each other anytime we want."
Yuri hugged Ryoken, tears staining his clothes as he cried "Thank you thank you."
Ryoken stilled a moment before crouching down and hugging the boy.
Yuri was truly a broken character, and he didn't mean that by his strength, rather mentality.
The boy always craved a family, someone to look after him, to show him affection. He was always left alone and labelled as creepy or crazy, no one ever paid attention to him.
And that's exactly how in canon, Akaba the genocidal egghead took advantage of Yuri and took him in, turning him into a soldier, a loyal dog who always obeyed him.
And Yuri, having no one in life, took that as a show of affection and did everything for the professor without questioning his methods.
Ryoken knowing all that, decided to adopt Yuri. If he looked out for him and raised him personally, he could be a great ally to them.
It also helped Ryoken to keep him in check in case Zarc was planning on awakening.
Lastly, Yuri was a named character, a top tier on top of that. Just from a single duel with him he already had earned quite a few interesting awards.
If he adopted Yuri and dueled with him everyday, he could earn more DP and Gems. Not only that, he could process the milestone set for dueling the named characters.
All in all, it was a mutual beneficial relationship.
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And that's it for this chapter. Few things to go over and talk about.
First of all, was using the lava golem on point or anticlimactic?
Next up, do you approve on Mc taking in Yuri or not? Poor little boy just needed a family.
And most important matter, share waifu pictures my fellow cultured brothers!